NevDull’s Take On Things

Plane from New York’s LaGuardia Airport Being Turned Around

December 24th, 2006

Fox News Channel is reporting that a plane from New York’s LaGuardia Airport is being turned around after a note was given to the pilot from a passenger which was considered threatening. I can’t find details about this online yet, but the plane is apparently being turned around mid-flight to return to LaGuardia to be searched.

Of course, it seems quite stupid to send it back to a major metro area just in case… why not land it somewhere less populated in the event that there is a real threat?

I’ll update as more information comes in.

Update 2:38PM EST:
The plane is back on the ground, luggage has been spread on the ground outside the plane. Canine units searching around the plane. Conflicting details about whether or not passengers are still on the plane. Plane is a US Airways Express flight.

Update 2:52PM EST:
The note supposedly from God. The pilot requested the return to LaGuardia. I’ve been flipping channels, and find no mention of this story anywhere else… nothing on CNN, CNN Headline News, MSNBC… nothing in a search on Google News for LaGuardia. The flight was to Portland, Maine.

Update 3:29PM EST:
I may have gotten details wrong. This page seems to be reporting that the flight was from Charleston, South Carolina, not originating at LaGuardia. Fox News just also mentioned that the plane never took off — that the note was passed while the plane was on the ground, and that the passenger who passed the note has been taken to a hospital for evaluation, and that the flight has now taken off for Portland, Maine.

Update 3:49PM EST:
FlightAware is now showing the flight as having left at 3:35PM. The flight was Chautauqua Airlines flight 3068.

Update 5:46PM EST:
Amazing how little coverage this has gotten. Fox21.com finally has some mention of it. No new details, though.

Entry Filed under: General